Kindle Paperwhite 4 Jailbreak Guide: Firmware 5.10.2 – 5.13.3

This method comes from MobileRead user ilovejedd's thread FW 5.10.2-5.13.3 Software Jailbreak for PW4.

Scope: Kindle Paperwhite 4 (KPW4) on firmware ≤ 5.13.3 only. Not valid for other models or KPW4 on firmware ≥ 5.13.4. Jailbreaking risks "bricking" the device — proceed carefully at your own risk.

Firmware 5.13.4 blocks this method, so you must prevent auto-updates while working: skip WiFi setup on a fresh device, or turn on Airplane Mode if WiFi is already connected.

Best practice: If the KPW4 isn't brand new, reset it first (back up your data) for a cleaner jailbreak environment.

1. Install the diagnostics firmware

1. Connect via USB, download the diagnostics updater, and copy it to the Kindle root (same level as documents):

   update_pw4_5.10.1.3_diags.bin: Baidu Netdisk

2. Eject, then tap Menu → Settings → Menu → Update Your Kindle and wait for the restart.

2. Install the factory firmware

1. After reboot the device enters diagnostics mode. Reconnect via USB (some Macs can't see the USB device in diagnostics mode — use Windows or Linux), download the factory firmware, and copy it to the root:

   update_pw4_5.10.1.3_factory.bin: Baidu Netdisk

2. Safely eject and hold the power button to restart and install the factory firmware — this can take a while; keep the battery full or stay on AC power.

3. To block auto-updates afterwards, create an empty folder named update.bin.tmp.partial at the root (only works on 5.11.x firmware; may not work on ≥ 5.12).

3. Jailbreak the factory firmware

Step 1: Use K5 Factory JailBreak to jailbreak the factory firmware:

Download kindle-jb-factory: Official page

1. Unzip kindle-jb-factory-x.x-rxxx.tar.xz to get main-htmlviewer.tar.gz.

2. Connect via USB, copy main-htmlviewer.tar.gz to the root, and eject.

3. Tap the search bar, type ;installHtml (semicolon included, capital H, lowercase l — not the digit 1), press Enter; the Kindle restarts automatically.

4. On success, a document named You are Jailbroken appears in the library; you can delete it along with the tar.gz.

Step 2: Install the K5 JailBreak Hotfix to keep the jailbreak after firmware updates:

Download JailBreak-hotfix: Official page

1. Connect via USB and unzip JailBreak-x.xx.N-FW-x.x-hotfix.zip to get Update_jailbreak_hotfix_x.xx.N_install.bin.

2. Copy the .bin file to the root and eject.

3. Tap Menu → Settings → Menu → Update Your Kindle and wait for the restart.

4. After reboot, firmware updates no longer break the jailbreak.

Note: After jailbreaking you can update the KPW4 to the latest firmware, but don't install plugins before the update — the jailbreak survives, plugins don't. Update first, then install plugins.

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